'I do not think it is--at least, I do not think
Uncle Woodbourne would have liked the lecture we heard much better
than Lizzie and I did; and after it was too late, I found that Helen
had declared it was very wrong of us to go. She would not go; and I
found that when I was out of the room, she and Lizzie had had a great
debate about it.'
Anne then gave a full account of all that had occurred, and ended
with, 'Now, Mamma, do you think we could have helped going on after
we once came to Mrs. Turner's, and found what kind of a thing it was
likely to be?'
'People certainly cannot stop themselves easily when they have taken
the first wrong step,' said Lady Merton.
Anne sighed. 'Then I am afraid we have done very wrong,' said she.
'For yourself, Anne,' said her mother, 'I do not think you are much
to blame, since I cannot see how you were to know that your cousins
were going without their father's consent.'
'I am glad you think so, Mamma,' said Anne; 'but I cannot be quite
happy about it, for I might certainly have supposed that there was
some reason against our going, when Helen and the youngest Miss
Hazleby turned back and went home.
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